I have been making observations about the classroom and problems or difficulties that I notice in the classroom or with a large number of students. I want my inquiry topic to reflect my classroom's needs and make a positive impact on these students. I have been considering chapter two of Phillips and Carr as I have been narrowing down an area of interest for my inquiry topic. For my research topic, I want to take advantage of the enclosed classroom and the limitless possibilities I have in this setting. In the past, I had to consider time when other classes were outside of the cluster to do more active or possibly loud activities and had to limit the amount of time spent doing these kinds of activities. I had to be considerate of the other classes to keep from distracting their students which I feel limited my research and topics I was interested in studying.
Phillips and Carr state that action researchers should consider past courses when deciding on a topic, developing research techniques, and finding information about the topic. I remember last semester in my Classroom Management course, everyone had to find a case study and present them to the class. I was really interested in one case study where the teachers were very physically active and health conscience. The teachers implemented this healthy life style in the school and there was more exercise done regularly in the school than in most schools. The results showed that students were not behind compared to traditional public schools that spent more time covering typical information.
The students in my classroom spend an average of 40 minutes a day, two days a week in a Physical Education class and 30 minutes a day everyday in Teacher-led physical free time. The teacher led physical free time is not always spent being active, because students may spend the time doing what they want outside or will be playing nonphysical games indoors during bad weather. I also took note that the first three and a half hours of school are spent in desks on average. Therefore, students do not move around for a large portion of their day.
I have been discussing this exercise interest with my mentor teacher and she seems very receptive to the idea. I have been reflecting on this idea, my expectations, my goals, and how I will be recording the results. We have been considering when to implement this activity and the amount of time needed to collect enough data for measurable and dependable results. I have come up with a lot of ideas about this inquiry topic and am excited to present it to my small group facilitator. I also cannot wait to see how the kids react to morning exercise.
The first week at my professional development school has been mainly focused on students learning new routines and expectations. My mentor teacher and I have been reminding students of the routines regularly and the students are finally starting to catch on to them towards the end of the week. With each day, we must implement another part of the regular schedule and the specific procedures for them. For example, we have been practicing all the parts of Reasoning Minds each day. Reasoning Minds is a math computer program that is difficult for students with so many steps and responsibilities. We practice passing out journals, connecting headsets, and logging in. Students have also been taking reading comprehension tests to determine their levels for a reading program implemented in the school. All of these routines have put a strain on the students and the teachers. I am very glad to be in the classroom during this time of the year, because I had never realized before how much practice a classroom routine can take.
I have had time to talk to most of my students, but have yet to do a sort of "get to know you" activity. I plan on doing one soon, once I am leading lessons more so that I can really get to know my students better and create lessons that peak their interest. To be able to implement my exercise plan in the classroom, I will need to get to know my students and make them feel comfortable and with me and each other.
Overall, I love my classroom, my mentor teacher, and my students. I feel lucky to have the resources and colleges I have this year in my internship. I feel confident about this year and know that I will learn more this year than any other. I also feel more excited about my inquiry plans than I have in the past and know that my passion will show in my research. The best research is based off ones own interests and beliefs while reflecting the needs of the classroom. I cannot wait to start!
